Propulsion mechanism.



G. W. BUNDLE. PROPULSION MECHANISM. APPLICATION HLED 02cm 1914.

1,1 54,208. PatentedSept. 21, 1915.

' 2 $HEET$-$HEET I.

COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH IO-,WASHINGTON. D. c.

G. W. RUNDLE.

PROPULSION MECHANISM. APPHCATION FILED 050.1. 1914.

1 1 54,208 Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

W v {a $12M Olw W GEORGE W. BUNDLE, OF SPOKANE, -WASHINGCLON.

PROPULSION MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Application filed December 7, 1914. Serial No. 875,926.

b all whom it may concern Be it known that'I, GEORGE TV. BUNDLE, acitizen of the'United States, residing at Spokane, in the county ofSpokane and State of Washington, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Propulsion Mechanism, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to manually propelled vehicles for childrens use,and its object is to provide a novel and improved driving or propulsionmechanism, whereby a good speed may be obtained with a mini mum effort.I r The herein stated object is attained by means of a combination andarrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and inorder that the same may be better understood, reference is -had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the vehicle; Fig: 2 isa plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the driving mechanism,with parts broken away; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line l1'of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on the line 55 of Fig.4.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the body of the vehiclecomprises two spaced, parallel side bars 10 carrying one or more seats11, two seats being shown. The side bars also carry foot rests 12 forthe rear seat. The running gear of the vehicle comprises front wheels 13carried by an axle 14, and hind wheels 15 carried by an axle 16. Thefront axle i's'swiveled on a king-bolt 17 so that it may be swung tosteer the vehicle,-

this operation being effected by means of foot rests 18 carried by saidaxle, and located within reach of the feet of the occupant of the frontseat 11. The foot rests 18 also carry brakes for the front wheels, saidbrakes being rollers 19 carried by arms 20 extending from the rearportions of said foot rests, the latter being pivoted, so that when theyare pressed down, the rollers will engage the peripheries of the frontwheels. Springs 21, connected to the foot rests, and anchored to thefront axle, hold said foot rests so that the brake rollers are normallyout of contact with the wheels, and thus re lease the brake rollers whenthe downward pressureon the foot rests is relieved.

The driving or propulsion means of the vehicle comprises the followingparts: On

the rear axle 16, midway between the ends thereof, is made fast a clutchmember'22 in the form of a collar having teeth 23 and 24, respectively,at its ends. On the axle, on opposite sides of the member 22, are alsoloosely mounted clutch members 25 and 26, respectively, the same beingslidable on the axle, and cooperating with the member 22. The members 25and 26 are formed with teeth at their ends which are next to'the teethof the member 22, the teeth 27 of the member 25 being designed to engagethe teeth 23, and the teeth 28 of the member 26 the teeth 24. The clutchteeth 23 and 24 are made slanting or beveled on one side, the slant orbevel of the teeth being oppositely arranged, respectively, and theslant or bevel of'the teeth 27 and 28 corresponding. Thus, the members25 and 26 transmit motion to the member 22 in one direction only. Themembers 25 and 26 are slidable on the axle, so that they are free toslip back out of mesh with the member 22 on the back stroke. Themembers-25 and 26 alternatelyv come into driving engagement with themember 22, and the latter therefore receives a continuous motion in onedirection. Springs 29 press the members 25 and 26 into workingengagement with the member 22, said springs however yielding to allowsaid members 25 and 26 to slip back out of mesh with the member 22 onthe back stroke.

The driving means for the clutch members 25 and 26 comprises thefollowing parts: On the clutch member 25 is -a toothed. gear 30, and onthe clutch member 26 is a similar gear-element 31. These-gear elementsmay be formed integral with the respective clutch members. In mesh withthe gear 30 is a pinion 32, and with the gear 31 meshes a pinion 33.These pinions are spaced vertically, they being located respectivelyabove and below the axle 16. The pinions are elongated so that the gears30 and 31 will not get out of mesh during the lateral sliding movementof the clutch members 25 and 26. A toothed rack 84 meshes with thepinion 32, and a toothed rack 35 is in mesh with the pinion 33. Thesetwo racks are located respectively above and below the axle, and theyare connected to travel together. Midway between the ends of the clutchmember 22, the periphery thereof has an annular groove 36 to accommodatethe racks. A hand lever 37, having a connection 38 with the racks, isemployed for reciprocating the latter, said hand lever being fulcrumedbetween the side bars 10 of the vehicle, in front of the front seat 11,so as to be within reach of the occupant of said seat.

Upon operating the hand lever 37, the racks 34 and 35 are carriedthereby rotating the pinions 32 and 33 alternately in oppositedirections, this motion being transmitted to the clutch members and 26througl the gears 30. and 31, and said clutch members transmittingmotion to the clutch member 22 in one direction, as herein beforedescribed, and as said clutch member 22 is fast on the axle 16', thevehicle is propelled. The vehicle can also coast by holding the handlever stationary, whereupon the clutch. members 25 and 26 slip as theaxle turns.

The side bars 10 carry depending brackets 39 at their rear ends, andsaid brackets carry ball-bearing boxings 4:0 for the axle 16.

The racks 3 and 35 slide in channeled guides 41 carried by laterallyspaced plates 4.2,,said guides being locatedbotween the plates, and'thelatter being supported from the side bars 10 by braces l3. have'rearwardextensions 4A which are arranged to form supports for the shafts of thepinions 32 and 33.

The clutch members '25 and 26 are provided with housings 45 havingsuitable openings through which the gears 30 and 31 project to come inmesh with the pinions 32 While the preferred embodiment of the inventionhas beenillustrated and described, it will be. understood that variouschanges and modifications may be resorted to without departure from thescope of the invention' as claimed hereinafter.

I claim:

1. A- driving mechanism comprising an axle, a clutch member fast onthe'axle and having teeth. at its ends, said teeth being op- Gopi'esof'thl's patent may be obtained for back and forth,.

The plates 42' positely arranged respectively, clutch members looselyand slidably mounted on the axle on opposite sides of the firstmentioned clutch member. and having teeth engageable with the teeththereof, toothed gears on the second mentioned clutch members, pinionsin mesh respectively withthe toothed gears,

second mentioned clutch members, pinions in mesh respectively with thetoothed gears, racks in mesh respectively with the pinions, said racksbeing connected to travel together, and means for reciprocating theracks.

3. A driving mechanism comprising an a clutch member fast on the axleand having teeth at its ends, said teeth being opaxle,

positely arranged respectively, clutch members loosely and slidablymounted on the axle on opposite sides of the first mentioned clutchmember and having teeth engageable with the teeth thereof, toothed gearson the second mentioned clutch members, pinions in mesh respectivelywith the toothed gears, racks in mesh respectively with the pinions,means for reciprocating the' racks, channeled guides for the racks,supports for the guides, and supporting means for the aforesaid pinionscarried by said supports. 3

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- GEORGE W. BUNDLE.

Witnesses: 1 7

ED. WELLER,

OLETTA BERG.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents,

Washington, D. G.

